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A review by pearloz
W, or the Memory of Childhood by Georges Perec
3.0
There was a point, actually the beginning of Part II, when I stopped caring about the biographical story, and I really only cared about the Island W, and the "sport" therein. I skimmed the biography which was vaguely interesting to get to the breakdown of the absurd rules on W. Chapter 26, the lady chapter, was particularly interesting and disturbing.
"The women thought to be fertile are taken to the Central Stadium, their clothing is removed, and they are released onto the track, where they start to run as fast as they can...on hundred and seventy-six men are sent off in pursuit. One lap is usually all that the runners need to catch up with the women, and as a rule it is right in front of the podium, either on the cinder track or on the grass, that they are raped."
What I found pretty great about the book is the allegorical connection between W and Nazi concentration camps--not the connection itself but the manner in which the connection is presented, that slow and controlled reveal of information. W seems like a sporty utopian island, but as the rules are further described, we see how arbitrary the rules are, how some losses result in immediate decapitation, winners are sometimes pre-selected, winners are then given handicaps on following events and challenges, the women are segregated, raped, "one girl child out of every five is kept."
Good. Difficult.
"The women thought to be fertile are taken to the Central Stadium, their clothing is removed, and they are released onto the track, where they start to run as fast as they can...on hundred and seventy-six men are sent off in pursuit. One lap is usually all that the runners need to catch up with the women, and as a rule it is right in front of the podium, either on the cinder track or on the grass, that they are raped."
What I found pretty great about the book is the allegorical connection between W and Nazi concentration camps--not the connection itself but the manner in which the connection is presented, that slow and controlled reveal of information. W seems like a sporty utopian island, but as the rules are further described, we see how arbitrary the rules are, how some losses result in immediate decapitation, winners are sometimes pre-selected, winners are then given handicaps on following events and challenges, the women are segregated, raped, "one girl child out of every five is kept."
Good. Difficult.